because sarcasm is my middle name. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
He hovered over his desk, like a dark, deadly predator, his obsidian eyes studying me—no doubt thinking that I was partially unhinged. He would be wrong in his assessment. I was completely unhinged.
Finally, he spoke. “Apology accepted.” It wasn’t much, but at least it was something.
“Great. When do you want me to speak with the girls? I can’t promise results, but I’ll do my best.”
“How about now?”
I checked my watch. It was only eight-thirty. It seemed later than that. “Now’s fine. Are they here?” I glanced around his office.
“No, I’ll need to drive you to the compound.”
My phone rang as I followed Zack out the door. I saw my brother-in-law’s name flash across the screen and sent the call to voicemail. When it rang a second time, I turned it off. We reached the parking lot, and I couldn’t help but feel a tad bit wary about getting back inside a car with him.
“I promise to keep my hands to myself,” he murmured.
Did he just read my mind? Testing my theory, I formed a thought. Your ass looks good in those pants, and lobbed it at his back. I made sure to add a roar on the end for good measure. He didn’t so much as flinch. Damn, that would have been cool. A little invasive, but still cool.
Zack opted to drive us in his McLaren MP4. The fast car suited him. We barely made it out of the parking lot before he crawled right into my business. He wanted to know all about my parents and childhood. In return, I asked him how old he was and if his aversion to the camera meant that vampires couldn’t be photographed. They were questions that neither of us bothered to answer.
The compound, as it turned out, wasn’t located in Charleston, but on John’s Island, which was only thirty-minutes from the city. Moss-covered trees lined both sides of the driveway, giving it a low-country feel. About a mile up the lane, the trees opened up, and I got a full view of the sprawling estate.
Sucking in a surprised breath, I let out a whispered, “Wow.” The main house was quite impressive. It was the several smaller, yet equally attractive, buildings surrounding it that gave it the compound feel.
Zack drove around the side of the main house and into an underground garage. My eyes bugged at the expensive sports cars, motorcycles, and SUVs. He killed the engine before turning his attention to me.
“I take it you like cars.” His smile made my belly dip. I never thought I’d be attracted to a vampire, but this one made my insides quiver. “I thought we could have a quick drink to discuss logistics. After that, you could join the girls for dinner. How does that sound?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. You do realize they’re not going to talk to me if they know I’m with PHD.”
“Yes, but if we explain that Tamara asked for you and—”
I shook my head, and he stopped talking. “Something happened the night Tamara went missing, and that something has them too scared to talk. If you so much as peep the word cop, it’s over. What if you bring me in as a new nourisher? I can pretend I’m one of them. I can say I know Tamara and heard about what happened. If you know which bars or clubs they frequent, I can say I’ve seen them there.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “It won’t work. We have protocols put into place for nourishers. Background checks are done and formal introductions have to be made before a new nourisher is accepted. After that, there’s a month of training. Plus, nourishers are normally Victoria’s responsibility. It would look odd if I was suddenly involved in the process.”
I scowled. “Forget how it looks. You’re the boss. Say you need a temporary replacement until Tamara is back. Tell them I’ve passed all the tests and am on loan from a friend. I don’t care what you say as long as it gives me a way in. You can fill the other vamps in on what’s happening while we’re eating.”
“Tobias is the only one who knows about you. I haven’t told the others yet.”
Uh-oh. “Whyyyy?”
“Because I don’t want to alarm them until I actually know something.”
Instead of heading outside, he led me across the garage. We came to a steel door and I waited for him to type in his passcode.